Factors contributing to resilience amongst adolescent girls in artisanal and small-scale mining communities in Ghana and Uganda

Abstract

Background: Resilience is critical to the health and well-being of last-mile adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) who work in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) communities. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the health and economic challenges that AGYW in ASM communities experience. Despite a growing focus and discussion of adolescent resilience in the literature, there is a continued gap in information on the experience of last-mile or hard-to-reach adolescents, such as those in ASM communities, and their resilience. This paper aims to understand adolescent resilience in ASM communities in Uganda and Ghana and identify contributing factors. Methods: This study employed quantitative analysis of survey responses from 1618 AGYW in Ugandan and Ghanaian ASM communities. Survey questions focused on resilience and were adapted from the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Responses were analyzed (descriptive, bivariate, logistics regression) using STATA and BRS scoring to indicate low and normal/high resilience. Results: Across AGYW in both Ghana and Uganda, an average of 57% had a normal/high resilience score and 43% had a low resilience score. Variables that were significantly related to normal/high resilience (p value equal to or less than 0.05) included residence in Ghana, AGYW 18 years or above, completed secondary education, were migrants, were employed by their parents or other relatives, received fair payments, had savings, drank alcohol, did not experience physical violence or a combination of physical and sexual violence, and had monthly incomes higher than $70. Conclusions: Findings correlate with existing literature on resilience amongst adolescents. Targeted resilience interventions with the AGYW in ASM have the potential to break cycles of vulnerability and should focus on savings and financial literacy, along with advocacy for mitigating sexual and gender-based violence and enhancing girls' rights to continue to build resilience. Long-term multi-stakeholder collaborations are key to building resilience within ASM communities.